If the ignition key and door key are the same, remove the door lock cylinder (which is WAY easier to get to than the ignition cylinder) and take that to a locksmith.
Been there, done that, and it works. However, I’ll admit I haven’t had to do it since 1986.
I was in Australia, hitching a 2-day ride to from Rockhampton to Gold Coast, stopping on the way to do stuff like take a swim … where the driver’s clothes got stolen, including her car keys. I was able to bum tools from the folks living across the street where we were parked, break into the car, remove the cylinder and take it to a locksmith, for a cheap solution. She was impressed that I knew how to do that. I was embarrassed that I did! I said “Oh, heck, I’m from Detroit. We know cars.”
Just an ex-Army mechanic, who knows how to bypass an ignition system, ie “hotwire” something. I have had power generators that were being worked on, and sometimes the start button was off for some reason-- like, the cover was off, and we were turning them on and off frequently, so we jumped it with a screwdriver, if we couldn’t just touch the wires together, rather than replace the cover each time.
Anyone who assembles their own computers has probably jumped the motherboard with a screwdriver at some point, to turn it on, before the power button wire was connected.
In your case I would call a locksmith. If it’s truly an emergency, like your stranded on a deserted road in the desert and dying in the heat of the direct sun type stuff…really bad advice following…
placing the blade of a standard screwdriver in the lock and smacking the back of the screwdriver with a hammer will shear the lock pins and allow you to turn the ignition with the screwdriver.
I’ve done this several times in truly desperate situations.
Here’s the really bad part…the lock will now turn with anything inserted into it, even a butter knife, but even worse than that is that there’s a fairly good chance you’ll destroy the lock and still be stranded if it doesn’t work.
Like I said, I’d only do this as a last resort in a desperate situation.
Sorry, no. That works with most older Japanese cars but it definitely will NOT work with a 2000 Ford Crown Victoria, for two reasons. #1 The door lock cylinder only has six tumblers in it, whereas the ignition lock cylinder has two additional tumblers in positions seven and eight. #2 The key has a transponder hidden in the head of the key which must be programmed into the car’s ECU before it can start the engine.
The majority of cars made after the year 2000 use transponder keys. If you have no key and you force the ignition lock to turn, the engine still won’t start.
Why would they do this? Are they not aware that data storage is cheap, or are they assuming that all of their cars will be junked by they time they hit the ten-year mark?
I’m surprised no one has brought up “the good old days” where you could avoid this problem:
"I had a 1950 Chevy Fleetline Deluxe not too many years ago…
Here’s the deal with the switch (if I’m remembering correctly):
The switch should have a little tear drop or tail coming off the face of it (below where the key goes in); if it does then here are the positions:
Key turned all the way to the left (counter clockwise): “Off” (and locked, if key is removed).
Key in middle position (key/slot vertical): “Off”, but not locked if key is removed from cylinder (you can turn the switch “on” & “off” w/o the key, by using that little tail on the switch).
Key/switch turned all the way to the right (clockwise): “ON”; use push button next to headlight switch to operate starter.
I Googled a little, and it seems that a locksmith can cut you a key that will fit the ignition, and then a dealer or certified Ford mechanic can program the car’s computer to respond to it.
If the computer does not receive the correct signal from the transponder, it will shut off the fuel pump and the starter.
It might be possibly to find the circuit that causes the shut off, and cut the wires, but this might cause more problems.
Jack them. Why do you think car-jacking has become so much more common? You need the original key and the fob, so you have to take the car away from the driver. You can’t break into a car in a parking lot and hotwire it anymore.
Yes but locksmiths make house calls and dealers don’t. That means you have to (1) get yourself to the locksmith shop to acquire the key, (2) get your car towed to the Ford dealership, and (3) bring the key from the locksmith to the dealer so it can be programmed. OR find a locksmith who can both cut the key and also program it and you can just pay the locksmith to make a house call to the car’s location and get it all done in one step.
If you read the owner’s manual, you often see the advice that new transponder keys can be programmed by the dealership. You might conclude that this is your only choice. That’s rarely true. The vast majority of American or Japanese transponder keys can be programmed in the field by a locksmith who has the right tools.
I can think of at least five strategies.
Only steal cars that don’t use transponder keys.
Steal the key itself and then use that to drive the car.
(minor variation of #2) At gunpoint, force the driver to hand over the key.
Plan in advance what year/make/model you intend to steal and bring along with you a replacement ECU and transponder already programmed into it. Pop the hood, replace the ECU, force the ignition lock, drive away.
Don’t bother trying to drive the car, just tow it back to a chop shop. I’ve seen video of a tow truck towing away car in under 60 seconds.
Does seem strange. Like Ford is penalizing customers who make good use of their product. Haven’t bought a new car from us in 10 years? Then we are going to erase all the data about your old one to let you know it is an obsolete piece of shit…
Chrysler just gave me a key code for a 15 year old.
Hey Bunny8…the dope on GMC and Toyota? How long do they keep the codes?
Honda does not matter, as it seems any random key will work to start those.
25 years ago I had an 18 year old nephew staying with me for a few weeks. He used my pick up to go out drinking. In the morning I walked out to my truck and a coke machine was lying there in the bed. I went and woke him up and told him he had a half an hour to get rid of it and bring my truck back empty. He was out of my house the next day.
Ford is the only one I know that erases codes after 10 years. All the others maintain a database which goes back to the year they stopped using microfiche. For GM, that’s about 1989. For Chrysler, Toyota, or Honda, it’s about 1993 or 1994. FYI, it’s a pretty rare thing for someone to steal your car by writing down your VIN and convincing the dealer to give them the key code. Usually, both the dealer and the locksmith will ask for license and registration. So, if anyone tells you to cover up the VIN on your dashboard to thwart potential thieves, don’t listen to that bad advice. Covering up your VIN is illegal, AFAIK.
A commonly repeated myth is that all Hondas or Toyotas only had a handful of different keys or that they all used the same key. It’s a myth with a grain of truth behind it. The truth is: [1] Some equipment, like golf carts, forklifts, and lawn tractors, actually do use the exact same key for every vehicle off the assembly line. The key from one lawn tractor will quite likely fit another lawn tractor. [2] When autos are brand new, the factories use about a thousand or so key codes which they rotate through randomly on the assembly line. A random 88 Honda Civic only had 1 chance in 1,000 of having the exact same key as your 88 Honda Civic. [3] It is sometimes possible to stick the wrong key into a lock, wiggle it around, and get the lock to turn. This is called manipulation. [4] As cars get older, the locks wear out. The more worn out the lock is, the easier it is to manipulate.
I have actually started a Toyota using a Kwikset house key but that would never have worked when the Toyota was new. It’s a symptom of excessive wear, typical of cars which have exceeded their normal life span. When you hear stories about people who drove the wrong car with their key, it’s possible that they just hit the jackpot and beat the odds to end up having the exact same key. But it’s more likely that the lock was worn out and they manipulated it without realizing they did it. This is one of the reasons the manufacturers started using transponder systems in the late 90s. Even if you manage to manipulate the lock of the wrong car, the engine won’t start if you have the wrong transponder.
Astro, what are the chances of finding the key? Did she drop it down a storm drain, or leave it in a motel in another city, or is it possibly just misplaced in her apartment somewhere? Maybe you just need to do an all out search. Places that rent tools often rent metal detectors; I know someone who rented one when she lost a piece of heirloom jewelry. It cost about $35/day. That’s less than a locksmith.
Of course, you need the key to do that. I had a 1971 Pontiac, when locking steering columns were fairly new, that failed so that I could take the key out in the “off” but not “locked” position, for a keyless car, and I used it that way for years. One time I goofed, though. A visiting friend wanted to borrow my car and asked for the keys. I told him he didn’t need the key! Later I got a call from him: I’d forgotten to mention NOT to turn it all the way back to the LOCK position. Doh! Fortunately I was able to walk to where he was stranded.
I don’t suppose the OP has thought of a (rather last resort) screwdriver?. Another poster has also suggested this. I cannot speak about a 15 year old car, but, a friend of mine definately used to carry around a screwdriver for the purpose of starting his mini clubman. It was from the late 1970’s, if I recall. I will ask him for more information.